The Summer of Snow
by i-bleed-sunshine
Summary: Follow the adventures of Numbuh's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 60, 86, and 362 as they make their way through their summer at the Arctic Training Base to become official operatives of the KND! Chp. 5 Up!
1. Prologue

I had been thinking about this FanFic for a long time, but after watching Operation: ZERO, I finally sat down and put it to paper (or in this case, Microsoft Word Document). Like most of my half-baked writing ideas, I may not continue to write if I lose interest. Your reviews keep me going, so if you like what you see, Please Review! Thanks!

Codename: Kids Next Door and all Characters © Cartoon Network

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Prologue 

Since the day Nigiel Uno was born, he was destined for great things.

As a baby, he was much more independent and inventive than the other children his age. While the other children were playing outside in the sandbox, he could be found inside, making elaborate buildings and skyscrapers with wooden blocks. As the other boys and girls made simple shapes with their PlayDough, like hearts and pyramids, Nigiel was adding the details to his clay model space ship. His mother had tried sending him to at least a dozen other daycare centers, but it was always the same.

At the age of five, when he started kindergarten, things started to look up. He soon became friends with Hoagie Gilligan, another boy his age who lived only a few blocks down the street. They shared similar characteristics and became inseparable. The two friends spent most of their days playing in the small, rickety treehouse behind Hoagie's house, pretending they were saving the world from ultimate evil. The only boundary to their adventures was their eight o'clock bedtime.

When the two started first grade, they were often involved in the fights at the school. They never started any of them, but instead fought against the bullies who harassed the other weaker, smaller students. Although they had the best intentions, they were often sent to the principal's office with bloody noses and black eyes. Hoagie and Nigiel's parents were never surprised to receive a phone call from the school to say that they had beaten up another kid. It was almost a routine when they reached the second grade. By then however, the two friends had learned their own weaknesses and choose their fights carefully. Although Nigiel hated to see a fellow kid being treated unfairly by adult, bullies, and teenagers, some battles could not be won. He would simply grit his teeth, thinking about the day when he would be strong enough defend kids everywhere - not just inside the school walls.

Our story takes place on sunny Thursday during mid-May. As Nigiel Uno awoke that morning, from the moment he put on his favorite pair of sunglasses, he had no idea that this was the beginning of the greatest years of his life.

His years spent as a Kids Next Door operative.


	2. The Pamphlet

If you are all wondering about the whole 'Numbuh 1 with hair' thing…

According to the episodes, Numbuh 5 tells us that the Delightful Children are the ones responsible for made him bald. So in my mind, he must have lost his hair _after_ he joined the KND and started fighting against them. But then again, Numbuh 4 didn't know why he was bald, so maybe he lost it _before_ he joined… Well anyway, in my story he has hair.

Enjoy :D

Codename: Kids Next Door and all Characters © Cartoon Network

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Chapter 1 – The Pamphlet

"Hey Nigiel! Hurry up or we're gonna be late for school!"

A boy dressed in a red T-shirt and long khaki pants emerged from the doorway, shoving a handful of papers into his book bag. The sun reflected off of his dark sunglasses as he tried to flatten his messy chestnut-colored hair. He was in such a rush this morning that he didn't get a chance to comb it.

"It's about time!" Hoagie said, standing at the end of the walkway. He was a somewhat chubby boy with beige pants and a teal long-sleeved shirt. A brown leather pilot's hat sat atop his head with matching goggles over his eyes. "What took you so long?"

"I left my homework on my desk upstairs." Nigiel said as they walked down the sidewalk. "We're not even in Middle School and they're making us write one thousand words essays on life in the 18th century. What kind of 2nd grade teacher gives out an assignment like that?"

"Yeah. It took me all night to finish it. I think I only got 998 words, though." Hoagie said, looking down at the sidewalk disappointingly. "I hope she doesn't take any points off."

"One day, I'm going to find a way to keep kids like us from having to do stupid essays like these!" Nigiel said, waving his fist in the air angrily.

"Yeah, well when you figure that out, just let me be the first to know, ok?"

As the two friends approached the school, they noticed something going on in the front lawn. Two bullies were tossing around a bookbag as a smaller boy between them tried desperately to get hold of it. It looked like a cruel, unfair game of 'monkey-in-the-middle'.

"What's the matter, shrimp?" One of the bullies said as he tossed the bag to the other. He was twice as tall as his partner was, and just as round. "Don't you want it back?" He smirked, a large gob of drool oozing from the side of his mouth.

"Give it back or else!" The smaller boy demanded, jumping into the air to grab it. He missed by a few inches and fell to the ground, his orange shirt and blonde hair filled with dirt.

"Aw, is the baby getting angwy?" The second thug taunted, dangling the bag over top of his head.

"Give it _back!_" He leapt forward, swinging his fists in fury. However, with one punch, the ruffian sent him flying through the air. They laughed as he landed a few feet away, gripping his stomach in pain. Nigiel had seen enough.

"Hey!" Nigiel shouted, striding up to the two bullies. "You leave him alone!" The boy sat up, watching the stranger who had come to his rescue.

"Oh _really?_" The larger of the two said, tossing the book bag aside and leaning down into his face. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"_This!"_ Hoagie jumped down from the school roof, landing right on top of the bullies. They stayed down for a few seconds before pushing him off angrily, stampeding towards Nigiel. Thinking quickly, he jumped high into the air and landed behind them. Before they realized what had happened, he had pushed them both to the ground. He smiled as they landed face first into the dirt. One of the bullies had been knocked unconscious, but the larger one was still just as angry as ever. He stood up and spat out a large chuck of grass from between his teeth. With a low grunt, he charged towards Nigiel and Hoagie. They were about to collide when…

BAM 

The small boy jumped up from behind and knocked the monstrous bully on top of the head with a math textbook. He wobbled back and forth for a few moments before falling to the ground, defeated.

"And _that's_ for calling me shrimp!" He shouted, pointing a finger in the fallen bully's face. He tucked the book into his bag, swinging it back over his shoulder. Nigiel and Hoagie were impressed. For such a little kid, he could sure pack a punch.

"Hey… thanks for helping me." He said to them, brushing away the dirt from his orange turtleneck. His faded blue jeans were stained green and his blonde bangs were a ruffled mess. "My name's Wallabee Beatles, but you can call me Wally. I moved here from Australia a few days ago."

"Nice to meet you, Wally." Hoagie said, reaching out to shake his hand. "I'm Hoagie and this is Nigiel…"

"Heh heh… Y'all did a pretty good job with those bullies!" An unfamiliar voice said from behind. They turned around to see a girl their same age peering out from underneath a red baseball cap. Hoagie and Nigiel recognized her as Abigail Lincoln. She didn't have many friends, and didn't say much for that matter, either. She didn't pay much attention inclass of the classroom. They wondered why she was talking to them now.

"Are you boy's going to the KND Training Base this summer?" She asked. They looked at each other, wondering if any of them knew what she was talking about. If it was some kind of camp where they sent you out into the woods to fend for yourself, making you eat bugs and twigs to survive, then Nigiel most definitely wasn't interested.

"What? You've never heard of the Kids Next Door?" The girl said, shocked at their reply. "The KND is an entire organization made up of kids who fight against adults, teenagers, and lots of other things! My sister's been a member for a long time. She said that when I finish the third grade, I can start my training. I've been dreaming about it since I was five! Here…" She took off her book bag and rummaged around in it before revealing three pamphlets. "You can have these." She handed one out to each of them. "Think about it. You guys would fit in great there." With a smile, she walked up the steps of the school and disappeared through the front doors.

"The Kids Next Door?" Wally asked, flipping through the pages of the pamphlet. "I've never heard of it. They must not have one in Australia." 

"No, I've never heard of it either." Hoagie said, looking at the cover. A picture of a kid holding what looked like a piece of plywood with a soda bottle duct taped to it was standing on the front, a yellow flag with _KND_ waving in the background. They wore a metal colander for a hat and a hubcap strapped across their chest with the number _37_ painted in red. "I mean, who would wear a cooking tool for a hat?"

"It's better than that thing _you've_ got on you head!" Nigiel said teasingly. Wally laughed.

"Hey! This was a present from my mom! And besides, this is very fashionable." He tilted the leather cap to the side of his head.

_DING DING DING_

"That's the bell. We better get to class," Hoagie said as Wally looked over his school schedule. "What classroom are you in?"

"Number 15, Mrs. Hamilton."

"Great! You're in our class! You can sit next to me and Nigiel. We're in the fourth row, so we can pass all the notes we want and the teacher hardly ever notices… Hey Nigiel, hurry up!"

Nigiel took one last look at the Kids Next Door pamphlet before tucking it into his back pocket and scurrying inside.


	3. Decisions, Decisions

Codename: Kids Next Door and all Characters © Cartoon Network

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Chapter 2 - Decisions, Decisions

"…and then in 1841, William McHenry discovered sliced bread…"

Mrs. Hamilton droned on from the front of the classroom. No one seemed to be paying attention and most of the students had fallen asleep onto their desks hours ago. Hoagie and Wally were busy passing notes, laughing under their breath every now and then. Nigel however, found himself deeply involved in the pamphlet Abigail had given him.

_Kids Next Door operatives may begin their training the summer of their 2rd school year, __where you will be shipped off to the top-secret training academy,_ _located in the coldest part of Antarctica. This two-month course will help to__prepare you in the fight against adult tyranny as a future official member of the __KND. Classes are supervised by the Commander in Chief, Numbuh 108. Some __of his achievements include a Master's Degree in Two-by-Four Technology, __along with a rank A in hand-to-hand combat._

A picture of a very serious looking boy alongside of the article was labeled as Numbuh 108. He was very muscular with a set of broad shoulders, his fiery red hair slicked back neatly. Nigel would have hated to have to fight against him alone.

Just then, a folded piece of notebook paper landed on his desk. He unfolded it to see Hoagie's scratchy handwriting.

_You've been reading that all day! Is it really that interesting? _

Nigel flipped the paper over, scribbled something down quickly, and passed it back to him.

_Yeah, it looks pretty cool. _

Hoagie passed it to Wally, who scratched something else down before sending it back down the line to Nigel.

_It sounds like one big prank, if you ask me._

_If it is, it's a good one._ Nigel wrote before passing it back to Hoagie. But before he got a chance to read it, a booming voice on the loudspeaker caused the entire class to jerk awake.

"WILL NIGEL UNO, HOAGIE GILLIGAN, AND WALLABEE BEATLES PLEASE REPORT TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY" The voice echoed across the school, rattling the windowpanes. Hoagie shook his head, smiling.

"I guess he heard about those big trolls we knocked out this morning after all…"

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In the office, Nigel, Hoagie and Wally sat quietly in the three chairs set out for them in front of the long mahogany desk. Principal Garrison paced around the small, square room, fuming. Wally was terrified. Mr. Garrison looked like he would explode any minute. He looked around the room and spotted a window on the far side of the right wall. If worst came to worst, he could always jump out of it and save himself.

Nigel and Hoagie on the other hand, had been sent to the office dozens of times before and were used to the principal's hotheadedness. They sat coolly in their chairs, watching him stomp back and forth.

"I must say that I was not in the least surprised to hear that you two were involved in another fight this morning." He said, still pacing along the floor. "But dragging another student down to your level? A new student at that! And on his first day of school!" He pounded his fists on his desk, knocking over a mug filled with pens. He stared at Nigel and Hoagie, eyes ablaze. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Principal Garrison, I can say that we were only trying to help a fellow student." Nigel said calmly, peering through his black sunglasses.

"Yeah Mr. G, Wally was going to be total meatloaf if we hadn't showed up!" Hoagie replied, leaning back in his chair comfortably.

"Hey! That's not true! I would 'ave been just fine without you!" Wally shouted back, offended.

"Look," The principal said as he sat down in his large leather chair. "I don't care what your excuse is, but you know that fighting is against school rules! I'm going to have to give you three boys detention and inform your parents." He picked up a pen and began to write on three small slips of blue paper.

"But that's not fair!" Nigel shouted, standing up from his seat. "We were helping a student in trouble! Don't you care about the safety of your own students?"

"Yes, I do. Which is exactly why I'm giving you all detention… for injuring two of my students." He held the slips out to the boys. Hoagie and Wally took the papers sadly and left the room. Nigel, however, glared at the principal angrily.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Uno, but perhaps you should save your heroics until after school hours." The principal said, waving the blue paper. "It might do you some good…" Defeated, Nigel snatched the slip out of his hands and stormed out the door.

"Aw man, so much for trying to help!" Hoagie said, looking down at the paper.

"Yeah! Those bullies had it commin' to 'em, anyway! I don't see why _we_ got punished! We're the good guys!" Wally scuffed his foot irritably against floor.

"Well I've had enough!" Nigel declared, crumpling up his detention slip and throwing it onto the floor. "Everytime we try to help someone, those stupid adults give us nothing but detentions in return! Well ! It's time that we do something about it!"

"What _can_ we do? We're only eight years old!" Hoagie said.

"We can do _this_!" Nigel took the pamphlet out from his back pocket and held it out for them to see.

"Are you _insane?_" Wally shouted, waving his arms over his head. "You've only just heard about it this morning and you're ready to ship yourself off to who knows where for this crazy kids club?"

"Yeah, Wally's right. Maybe you need to think about this a little longer before you make any major decisions…" Hoagie walked up to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. Nigel turned away from him, crinkling the pamphlet as he clenched his fists. Flooded with a feeling of determination and fury, he turned around and glared them.

"Hoagie. Do you remember when we were little and we used to play in the tree house in your backyard? We would pretend that we were going on adventures and saving far off galaxies from evil." Hoagie nodded. The memories were still very clear in his mind. "We would spend nearly every day pretending that we were heroes. Well now's our chance to become _real _heroes! Do remember the promise that we made? We promised that…"

"…that we would always help when someone was in danger." Hoagie finished, smiling softly. "I remember."

"And Wally," Nigel said, turning his gaze the small blonde boy, "Are you going to go through the rest of your nine years at school being picked on? You may be small, but I've seen what you can do! You brought down the biggest, toughest bully in the whole school with one hit! Here's your chance to prove to everyone that even though you may look weak, you are just as strong as anyone else!" Wally's cheeks turned pink.

"Don't you see? This is our chance to prove ourselves! We can prove to everyone that we're not just little kids! We can prove that we're Somebodys who aren't afraid to stand up and fight! I'm ready to show everyone that I'm a Somebody! Now who's with me?" Nigel placed his hand out in front of him, staring at the other two. There was a pause as they stood completely still in silence.

"You can count on me, pal!" Hoagie said, breaking the stillness. "Whenever there's a kid in need, they can count on Hoagie P. Gilligan!" He slapped his hand over top of Nigel's proudly. They looked back at Wally who was deep in thought.

"Well… nine years is an awfully long time," Wally said with a smile. "And besides, I'm ready to go kick some evil-adult butt!" He placed his hand on top Hoagie's.

"It's decided then!" Nigel said, smiling back at his two friends. "We're off to Antarctica for the Kid's Next Door training base this summer!"

"_Antarctica!" _Hoagie shouted in shock. "You didn't tell us it was in Antarctica!"

"For the _whole summer_?" Wally asked, his mouth wide open in surprise.

"Actaully, the _coldest_ part of Antarctica." Nigel replied. "Didn't you read any of the pamphlet?"

Hoagie and Wally looked like they were about to fall over.


	4. One More Night

The chapters are getting longer… :D

Codename: Kids Next Door and all Characters © Cartoon Network

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Chapter 3 - One More Night

The last few weeks of their 2nd grade school year passed by slowly. As the hours of daylight grew, so did the boy's anticipation of the start of their Kids Next Door training. They collected as much information as possible, reading, re-reading, and re-reading again the pamphlet that Abigail had given them. They had read it a total of fifty-eight times combined. Wally's had to be scotch-taped back together on several occasions and most of the text had been worn away from the constant turning of pages.

Eventually the end of year testing had come to an end, and the three friends found themselves watching the clock hanging on the classroom wall eagerly. _2:55. _Only five more minutes until the start of summer.

"Aw man, I can't _wait _until we leave for the Arctic Training Base tomorrow morning!" Hoagie said, leaning over towards Nigel.

"Yeah, we've only got one night to pack our things before we have to be at the bus stop." Nigel replied as he scanned over the article in the pamphlet describing the transportation to the training base…

_All kids should report to their assigned bus stop at exactly 8 a.m. All beginning operatives are asked to bring the following items:_

_-1 suitcase containing warm clothes and any personal items._

_-A sleeping bag and pillow_

_-Notebook for taking notes in class_

"I wonder what kind of classes they're going to have."

"If it has anything to do with Math, then I might as well stay home!" Wally said, leaning back in his chair. "I can't tell the difference between a decimal and piccolo!"

"Um… Wally? A piccolo is a musical instrument." Nigel replied, looking at him oddly.

"Well why would they be teaching us about music if it's Math class?"

"Three minutes!" Hoagie chimed in. The other children in the classroom were becoming restless and squirmed in their seats anxiously. Abigail sat quietly in the back of the room, her arms crossed with her red hat tipped low over her eyes. Nigel wondered if she was still going to the Training Base.

Although he would never admit it to Wally and Hoagie, deep down, he wondered if he was making the right decision. All his life he wanted the chance to fight against evil, to prove what he could do, and to use his skills and talent for good. Maybe his friends had been right… maybe he was rushing into this too quickly. But it was too late to back out now; he had already persuaded them into going. It would be bad enough if his own decision turned into a complete disaster, but having to live with the guilt of involving his friends in his bad decision would be unbearable. He could only hope that this wasn't going to turn into a catastrophe.

"Fifteen more seconds!" Hoagie shouted, watching the clock with wide eyes. The entire classroom had gone completely silent. Every eye was turned to the clock as they counted down the seconds in unison.

"10…9…8…7…"Now Wally and Nigel were counting down as well.

_This is it,_ Nigel thought. _There're no regrets now…_

"3…2…1…"

The school exploded in earsplitting shouts and cheers. Papers filled the air in excitement like giant white pieces of confetti. Even Mrs. Hamilton, who was usually very strict, let out a sigh of relief. The students raced out of the classroom and towards the front doors with loud cheers and laughs.

"Come on, Nigel!" Hoagie shouted over the noise that filled the hallways. "Let's head back home and start packing!"

"I'll catch up to you guys later," He replied, motioning towards Abigail. She was still standing in the back of the classroom. Hoagie nodded understandingly, grabbed hold of Wally and raced out of the school, laughing madly the entire way.

"Those are some crazy friends you got there, Nigel." Abigail said, tossing her backpack over her shoulder.

"Yeah, they are." Nigel agreed. They walked out of the class room and down the hall. They were the only ones left in the school and found the sudden silence a little strange.

"Yeah, but not _half _as crazy as you. A kid who's never even heard of the Kids Next Door before and he's ready to leave by tomorrow morning? Sounds like you're really determined…" She said with a laugh.

"But how did you know that I was going?" Nigel asked. "I haven't talked to you since that day outside of the school."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. I mean, anyone who reads that pamphlet every single day in class would _not_ be going!" Abigail replied with a smile. It seemed that Nigel was wrong – she did pay attention in class. At least, she had paid enough attention to realize that they had been reading the pamphlets in class.

"Abby!" A girl shrieked, waving from the entrance doors. She was an asian girl with short black hair tied up into two small pigtails. Her green tank top matched her Rainbow Monkey backpack that was tucked underneath her right arm.

She ran towards Abigail, her arms opened wide. She bounded onto her and trapped her in a tight hug. She let her go after a few moments, laughing happily as Abigail gasped for breath.

"Hiya! Are you Abby's friend?" She asked, looking at Nigel. He hoped that she wouldn't try to jump on top of him next.

"Kuki, this is Nigel Uno. Nigel, this is my friend Kuki Sanban." Abigail said, flattening out her blue hooded-sweatshirt. "Nigel is going to the training base this summer, too, Kuki."

"Really? That's great! Maybe we will see each other there!" Kuki said cheerfully. Nigel was happy to learn that she was also going to the Arctic Training Base. He was starting to feel less nervous.

"Hey, we've got to get going… Need to go home and start packing, ya know." Abigail said, looking at Kuki.

"Oh… yeah. I have to go home and get ready. I'll see you then later, Abigail!" Nigel replied, waving as the two walked farther away down the sidewalk.

"See you later!" Abigail said, "And call me Abby!"

"Bye mister Nigel sunglasses guy!" Kuki shouted back at him, waving a hand furiously over her head. He watched them as they disappeared over the house-lined horizon.

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It was late that night when Nigel finally finished packing his suitcase. As he zipped the bag closed, she looked at the digital clock set on the table next to his bed. _9:53. _He yawned as he collapsed onto his mattress. So many thoughts were running through his head… How many other kids were going to show up at the bus stop tomorrow? Would the five of them be the only one who showed up? What if the bus didn't show up at all? He could see himself now, standing at the stop, waiting for days and days until September 1st finally rolled around and they forced him to go back to school.

"Knock-knock!" Mrs. Uno said in a sing-song-voice. She pushed open his bedroom door, holding a small plate of cheese and crackers. "I though you might have gotten hungry, dear, so I made these for you." She said with a smile, placing them on the nearby table. Nigel sat up and ate one of them gratefully. He hadn't had anything to eat since five o'clock.

"Ah, there's my boy!" Nigel's dad said as he walked into the bedroom. He plopped down next to him on the bed and ruffled his hair playfully. "All ready for your first summer away from home, are you then?"

"I'm sure Nigey will have oodles of fun at his little kid's camp!" His mother said, giggling with delight.

"It's called the Kids Next Door, mom." Nigel said, rolling his eyes. His parents could be so lame sometimes.

"Oh, I remember _my_ first summer away from home…" Mr. Uno said, reminicing. "I spent two months stranded on a fishing boat in the middle of the English Channnel! Had to eat my fishing bait to survive. You'd be surprised how good a worm can taste with some seaweed…"

"Well, just be sure to get to bed soon, sweetie. I don't want you to be tired for your trip tomorrow." Mrs. Uno leaned over and planted a kiss on her son's forehead before walking out of the room, Mr. Uno close behind.

"Yes, quite right! We don't want you to be tired on your first day at camp! Sleep tight!" His father said, closing the door behind him. Nigel didn't have to worry about staying awake… just falling asleep. He was so excited that he could have stayed awake into next morning if he wanted to. He flopped back down on his bed, staring at his ceiling fan. He wondered what Hoagie and Wally were doing, and if they would be able to sleep tonight. He thought about Abby and Kuki, and wondered if they were just as excited and anxious as he was. He wondered if every operative felt this way the night before they left for the Arctic Training Base...

As his eyes began to shut, his mind was still racing with thoughts of the Kids Next Door.

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**NOTICE: **

While I am continuing to write my story, so don't freak out if you see any drastic changes.

Also, I am having a _contest_! I can't think of a good title for my story, so if you have any recomendations, I would love to hear them! The person with the best title will make an appearance in a future chapter of my story.

Thanks again!


	5. Touch Down

Thank you everyone for all the wonderful reviews! And now to answer a few questions..

I really not very fond of the whole Nigel/Abby thing, but there will be a few fluffs later on in the story, especially Wally/Kuki. I have also been meaning read the other KND fics out there, but simply haven't had the time. I look forward to sitting down one afternoon and reading all your terrific stories!

Also,** I will be on vacation August 20th - August 27th**, but will update as soon as I can upon return. I figured I'd at least let the gang arrive at the bas before I left, though. Thanks again and I'll see you soon!

Codename: Kids Next Door and all Characters © Cartoon Network

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Chapter 4 - Touch Down

The following morning felt like nothing but a blur to Nigel. He couldn't remember that he had already taken a shower, gotten dressed, and ate breakfast. He couldn't even recall what he had eaten for breakfast, but he knew it had been something round… maybe pancakes or waffles. He had rushed through his morning routine so quickly, that it was only 7:20 when he had finished. So, with some extra time to kill, he pulled out his pamphlet and read over it again.

7:50 eventually rolled around as he dragged his suitcase down the steps. His parents were already at the front door, waiting to say their good-byes. Mrs. Uno sobbed into her handkerchief as she muttered something about 'her little boy growing up so fast.' Nigel's father ran up to give him one last hug, followed by his mother who smothered him in tears and kisses.

"Now don't forget to write! We want to hear all about your little adventures at camp!" Mr. Uno shouted as Nigel made his way down the sidewalk and towards the bus stop. He rolled his eyes and waved back at them with a smile.

"Don't worry! I will!" He replied, trudging down the walk. He didn't realize that he had packed so many things into his suitcase. It had to weigh at least as much as he did…

Up ahead, the bright yellow bus-stop sign was coming into view. It looked like a few other people had gotten there before him, too. He quickly recognized them as Abby, Kuki, and Hoagie.

"Hey! Nigel, you made it!" Hoagie said happily as Nigel reached the street corner. He was sitting on top of his suitcase, which was much larger than his own.

"Hey guys! Have you been waiting here long?" Nigel asked, tossing his bag next to Hoagie's.

"Naw, only a few minutes." Abby replied, leaning against the yellow sign.

"Ohh, I'm so _excited!_" Kuki said, squirming with anticipation. "I brought my Travel-Fun Rainbow Monkey suitcase, and my Glow-in-the-dark Rainbow Monkey sleeping bag! My First Rainbow Monkey is ready to go, too!" She held out a rather raggy, dirty looking Rainbow Monkey doll out for him to see. One of the eyes dangled by a long thread. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, he forced a smile and patted it softly on the head.

"Here comes Wally!" Hoagie said, pointing towards a small orange dot about a block away. Sure enough, it was Wally. He was carrying a gigantic bag on his back, nearly twice as large as he was. It looked as if he would collapse under the pressure at any second.

"H-h-hey guys…" The small boy said through staggered breaths. He flopped down onto the pavement, gasping for breath. "I-I thought I m-might have missed th-the bus…"

"Actually, it should be here soon." Hoagie said, looking at his digital watch. The glowing numbers turned to _8:00_. The five friends looked up and down the street to see if anything was coming. However, the streets were empty.

Another minute passed by.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

After a while, Hoagie decided to look at his watch again. _8:11. _No one had come for them yet. Nigel sat on the pavement, his head held in his hands. He looked up to see Hoagie tapping his watch irritably. Abby was still leaning against the sign, her hat tipped low over her eyes, and Kuki was sitting next to Wally on the curb, babbling on about Rainbow Monkeys. He didn't seem to be interested with his arms crossed across his chest.

Another minute.

Another.

Nothing.

"That's _IT!"_ Wally shouted. They all watched as he marched angrily over to his bag and tossed it back onto his shoulders. "I've waited long enough! I'm going back home!"

"No!" Nigel pleaded. "Just a few more minutes! I-I'm sure it will come!"

"Don't you get it?" He shouted at him. "You've been tricked! This is all just one big joke! There is no organization! There is no Kids Next Door! And there _IS NO BUS_!"

"Look!" Abigail said, pointing down the street. Sure enough, just as Wally had uttered those words, a small, shaky yellow bus came rattling down the street. As it pulled to a stop at the corner, they saw KND painted in large, drippy black letter on the side. Wally's mouth fell open.

The bus driver opened the door and looked at the group blankly. The driver couldn't have been more than two older then them. "Are you the new operatives?" He asked in an odd, drawn out voice.

"Yes, that's us!" Abigail replied as she dragged her bag up the steps of the bus, the others following behind her. The inside of the bus looked just like any other old school bus – large brown seats and single strap seatbelts. Nigel was surprised to see that the bus was empty. Maybe they were the only kids who decided to attend this summer…

All five of them found seats, wedging their bags between the brown benches and the floor. Wally sat in the smaller seat across the aisle from Hoagie and Nigel, while Abby and Kuki plopped down in the row behind them.

'All ready then?" The driver asked as he turned the keys to the ignition. The engine rumbled noisily.

"Um, Driver? Just how long is it going to take us to drive to the training base?" Nigel asked, peering up over his seat.

"Drive?" He replied, laughing loudly. "Who said anything about driving?"

Suddenly, the engine's rumbling grew louder and violenter. It sounded as if it were about to explode. Then the bus itself started to shake. The windows and benches vibrated violently as Nigel gripped the edge of his seat to keep from falling off.

"W-wh-what-t's g-g-goin-ng o-o-n-n-n-n?" He shouted shakily over the noise.

"I-I d-do-don'-t-t kn-kn-n-o-o-o-w-w!" Hoagie replied, holding on as best he could. He was shaking so much that his goggles had fallen off his eyes and dangled around his neck.

Nigel looked out his window to see what was going on. What looked like a long, yellow airplane wing was unfolding itself from the side of the vehicle.

The driver reached up to the black walkie-talkie and pushed the button. "Permission to take off, Numbuh 59…"

"_You're all clear, 78."_ A voice crackled over the receiver. Reaching over to the dashboard, the driver pushed a large red button with his fist. There was a loud _POP_, and all five children found themselves pinned against the back of their seats as the bus shot straight up into the air at mach speed.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Wally screamed, eyes wide with terror.

"Weeeeeee!" Kuki held her hands were above her head with a large smile spread across her face.

A few seconds later, the bus began to fly straight and the loud noises subdued. They all gave out a sigh of relief, glad that it was over.

"Woo-wee, baby! Would ya look at that!" Abby said as she and Kuki looked out of their window.

"Wow! This is _awesome_!" Hoagie said, readjusting his goggles and leaning over Nigel to look down at the ground. They were soaring a few thousand feet above the ground, making the cars and houses below look like pebbles. "I wonder how fast we're going…"

"About eighty miles per hour!" the driver replied, looking back at them through the mirror that hung over his head. "We should reach the base in about an hour."

"This is amazing!" Nigel exclaimed as they continued to look out the window. "Isn't this great, Wally? …Wally?" Wally, however, had still not let go of the edge of his seat since they had taken off. He sat shivering with eyes as big as diner plates, staring straight ahead.

"Must be afraid of flying," Hoagie said, looking at him pitifully. "Or heights."

"Aw, are you scared, Wally?" Kuki asked. "Here! You can have My First Rainbow Monkey to keep you company!" She set the old, raggy doll on his lap as Abigail rolled her eyes. Wallabee didn't even blink.

The hour passed by slowly for the five of them. Abby listened quietly to her music on a large set of headphones, while Kuki flipped through her magazine and hummed happily to herself. Hoagie had brought along his favorite comic book, _The High-Flying Adventures of the Blue Baron,_ and had tried to explain the concept to Nigel. However, he found it quite boring and eventually gave up trying. Even Wally eased up after a while and playing a few rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors with the others.

Nigel, however, was still looking out the window as his thoughts raced around and around in his head. He was on a flying bus, on his way to the coldest part of Antarctica to be trained by an organization that he learned about only a month ago. He was going on a great new adventure that he had hoped for since he was little. And the best part was that he was sharing the experience with his best friend, Hoagie, and his three new friends, Kuki, Wallabee, and Abigail.

He watched as the warm green landscape below began to fade into a snowy white permafrost. The windows fogged up from the warmth of the bus, a few scattered snowflakes falling onto the windshield.

"Hey, look at that!" Nigel said, pointing out at the ground. They all leaned over to have a look at a flat, white field of snow. The land was vacant, except for about thirty other yellow school busses that were parked in neat lines.

"Well, here we are!" The driver said cheerfully. They descended onto the ground at the end of the last row of vehicles. The cold wind howled outside, warning the children to bundle up. After they had all put on their coats and gloves, they grabbed their suitcases, eager to go.

"I will be escorting you to the Training Base's entrance." The driver said as he stood up and zippered up his heavy jacket. "Once there, you must make your way to the main floor for your orientation. All right then? Let's move out!" He opened up the bus door and stomped out into the ankle-deep snow. The five friends followed, dragging their bags behind them. The icy wind hit against their bare faces, burning their cheeks and turning their noses red.

As he led them past the other rows of busses, Nigel noticed they were all empty. _The other kids must already be inside_, he thought reassuringly.

Up ahead, a tall, ordinary pine tree stood in the middle of a vacant field. The driver stepped up to it and looked back at them cheerfully.

"Ok!" He said with a smile, who's first?"


	6. A Cold Welcoming

Hello again everyone! I'm back from vacation in Florida and extremely eager to continue writing. 

At noon this Saturday, I made my lunch and sat down to watch the KND, as I always do. When the show began to start, I was surprised to see that it was an episode I had never seen before. It was Operation – I.T., and I have to say, it was one of the best episodes I've ever seen. It was also very helpful, since I'm bringing Numbuh 362 into the story in the next chapter and gave me a closer look into her personality. But it's still a little strange to hear Numbuh 1 call the other operatives by their first name…

Codename: Kids Next Door and all characters © Cartoon Network

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Chapter 5 – A Cold Welcoming

The children looked at the driver, dumbfounded.

"But… it's a tree." Wally said, confused.

"Oh, yes, it is a little small, so you'll have to go one at a time." There was yet another awkward silence.

"Alright then, I'll go first." Abigail said coolly, taking a step forward.

"Wonderful! Now then... " The driver walked up to the tree and knocked on the surface three times. Suddenly, a large puff of smoke issued from the base of the tree. When it cleared, a small opening appeared where he had knocked – just large enough for someone to step through. The small room inside the tree was covered in various buttons and levers.

"Ok then! Just stand there - here, I'll help you with this…" The driver pushed Abigail's suitcase into the small room as she squeezed in beside it. "Now, do you see that button there? Yes, that's it… just push that button and you're on your way. All set?" With a nod, Abigail smiled back at her friends and pushed the button. There was another large cloud of smoke, and when it finally disappeared, the room was empty. Abigail had vanished.

"Ok, who's next?"

"Oh! Me! Me, mister bus driver!" Kuki shouted as she waved her arms wildly. She skipped into the room, waved back at the boys, and was gone.

"I'm going next…" Wally said as the smoke began to dissolve. He trudged into the room, and with some trouble, managed to squeeze his large bag in with him. There was another cloud of white smoke, and it was empty again.

"Well, see you when you get there!" Hoagie said as he dragged his suitcase into the opening of the tree. Nigel smiled back at him as he too disappeared like the ones before.

"Last one!" The driver said, motioning towards the tree. Nigel stepped inside, staring at the millions of switches and flashing lights on the walls of the cylindrical room. The driver picked up his bag and wedged it between the walls and his legs.

"When you're ready, push this right here…" He pointed towards a large, red flashing button. "And watch your elbows. Wouldn't want you to lose something on your first day!" He smiled cheerfully, his large white teeth reflected on the boy's dark sunglasses. Swallowing nervously, Nigel reached out a shaking hand and pushed the button. Suddenly, the room filled with the white smoke, blocking his vision.

'_Welcome to the Kids Next Door Arctic Base. Destination – main floor.' _Nigel heard a female computer voice say. Without warning, Nigel felt the floor beneath him drop. He tried to let out a scream, but the air around him was much too thin. His stomach rose into his chest and he felt like he was being sucked down a tube. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes tightly, wishing it would stop. Just then, the floor beneath him came to a standstill. With a small _ding_, the room opened up once again.

'_Main Floor'_ the computerized voice said as Nigel steeped out shakily, dragging his suitcase behind him. The main floor was built high and wide and was filled with at least four hundred other kids, chattering amongst themselves.

"Nigel!" Hoagie shouted, emerging from the crowd of kids. He walked up to his friend and put an arm across his shoulder. "Some ride, huh?" Nigel nodded, still feeling a little queasy. Looking around, he noticed the floor was made of packed in snow, large collections of icicles dangling from the ceiling. The room seemed to be carved around the roots of the tree. Several monitors and pipes were built into the wood – even a large, upside-down tugboat that hung from the ceiling was punctured by the plants underground growth.

"Hey, over here! They're about to start!" Abby said from the back of the crowd. Wally and Kuki stood beside her, trying desperately to see past the other's heads.

Up ahead, a tall, muscular boy with fiery red hair emerged from a doorway. Everyone went silent as he stood before them with a stern expression. Many of the girls in the audience shrieked happily as his eyes passed over them. Nigel recognized him immediately as Numbuh 107. There was no mistaking him from the photo in the pamphlet.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Kids Next Door Arctic Training Base." He spoke with a strong, influential voice. "Some of you may already know me. For those of you who don't, I am Numbuh 107. I am the Drill Sergeant and Commander-In-Chief of the Arctic Base. I am also teacher of the Combat Class, so I will be meeting all of you eventually." A few of the girls in the crowd giggled and sighed dreamily. "Before you are sent off to your rooms, there are a few rules here at the base that must be followed…"

"Aw man! No one said anything about rules!" Wally moaned as he crossed his arms in a huff. Abby shushed him, trying to hear what Numbuh 107 was saying.

"Rule number one, boys and girls are to stay in their own dorms. No visiting! Rule number two, no one is allowed out of their rooms after nine o'clock. And rule number three, if there is a villain lose in the base, tell me, or another operative _immediately_. Leave all battles to the official operatives. Now, if everyone can grab their bags he girl's rooms are to the right, and the boy's rooms are to the left." He pointed to two separate hallways on separate sides of the room. "Diner is at seventeen-hundred hours and I expect everyone to be there!" He turned on his heels and exited through the same doorway he emerged from only moments ago. The room filled with chatter once again as the boys and girls began to separate, disappearing into their designated halls.

"We'll catch up with y'all later!" Abby said as she and Kuki waved goodbye. The boys watched as they vanished into the mob of girls across the room.

"At least we don't have to put up with any of those stupid girls while we're here!" Wally said as he, Nigel and Hoagie followed the parade of boys toward the dorm.

"I just hope they have good food in the cafeteria. I'm starving!" Hoagie rubbed his stomach sadly.

The boy's dorm was nothing more than a never-ending hallway of large, metal doors on each side. The floors and walls were built out of ice and snow, keeping it at below freezing temperatures. The light coming from the low-hanging ceiling fixtures did little to keep the hallway warm. Drippy black numbers were painted on the metal doors to distinguish one from another. The rooms were filling up quickly, and the three friends began to worry that they wouldn't find one. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, they reached a vacant room.

"Whew! Found one!" Hoagie sighed as he pushed open the heavy door. The large black painted on read _287_. Inside, the walls and floor were still made ice, along with the four bunk beds that protruded from the walls. There was no window, the only light coming from a single lightbulb that dangled by a wire from the ceiling.

"I call top bunk!" Nigel shouted as he ran towards to the upper bed on the right wall. He lifted his suitcase up onto the icy bunk.

"Well them I get the bottom!" Hoagie plopped his bag onto the bed below. Wally plopped his enormous bag down on the bottom bunk on the opposite wall gratefully. His shoulders were beginning to get sore.

"Um, excuse me." A voice said from the doorway. They turned to see another boy their same age, an orange-gloved hand gripping a large brown suitcase. His spiky black hair poked out from his orange beanie, his hazel eyes matching his brown ski jacket. "Is there another empty bed in this room? All the other ones are full…"

"Sure! Come on in!" Hoagie said with a smile. The boy smiled back, dragging his bag into the room.

"I'm Hoagie Gilligan, and this is Wally and Nigel." He said, motioning towards his friends. They smiled at him welcomingly.

"The name's Patton Drilovsky. Flew in from Nevada." He heaved himself onto the empty top bunk, pulling his bag up after him.

"Wow, you sure did fly a long way." Wally said, unfolding his sleeping bag.

"At least he's got the right idea with his clothes!" Nigel said, pointing to his gloves and hat. Patton laughed.

"Yeah, my mom was worried that I'd be cold. Better safe then sorry, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders as she unzipped his bag and pulled out a thick, wool sweater. "Geez! I told my mom that these sweaters are too itchy!" The four friends laughed.


End file.
